Our invention is related to rack mounting arrangements for an electronic component chassis and more particularly to arrangements for protecting chassis components during insertion and removal of the chassis from its associated rack mounting.
In modern electronic systems, it is a general practice to construct small portions of an electronic system on individual chassis or printed circuit modules. Each module includes a connection member which is received by a mating connection member mounted on the support frame assembly. The assembly rack includes the wiring between its module connecting members whereby a plurality of modules are electrically interconnected to perform the system functions. The module and rack connecting members are designed to provide low resistance and electrically and mechanically reliable interconnections between the module and the support assembly rack. During insertion and removal of the module connecting member from its position in the mating rack connector, electrical transients may occur. Such transients can cause damage to the connecting members and the module components and are particularly troublesome in the case of modules which carry high voltages and high currents, such as power supply or power regulator modules. In prior known arrangements, either the power is removed from the rack assembly preparatory to the insertion or removal of modules or special switching apparatus is included whereby the operator can remove power from a module prior to its insertion or removal. These priorly known systems are generally not economical or convenient and rely on operator control.
It is an object of the invention to provide for automatic removal of power from an electronic component module during its insertion and removal from an electronic rack assembly.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanical assembly on a component module for automatically removing power from the module connecting member to prevent damage to the connecting member from electrical transients resulting from insertion and removal.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an economic latch and switch actuator mechanism on the component module, which mechanism interacts with the associated rack assembly to electrically disconnect power from the module connecting member thereby preventing electrical transient damage during insertion and removal of the module from the rack assembly.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a latch and switch actuator mechanism on an electric component module adapted to lock the module into its associated rack and to allow application and removal of power from the module when the module is connected to its associated rack and further adapted to automatically remove power from the module during insertion and removal of the module connecting member from the rack assembly connecting member.